122 Comments - the commuter once known as So Ill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:39 am: Obama’s the Illinois front-runner On the GOP side, it has to be McCain. Name recognition and momentum. - RBD - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:40 am: Obama really does have the hometown advantage. McCain’s appeal to the reliable older voter will trump the ever-lazy middle voter who is not that thrilled with Mitt anyway. - The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:41 am: You seem to pose these questions so bias. Why would it just impact Obama? - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:42 am: McCain has this thing locked up. Romney and Huckabee are done. Given the lack of a real race, GOP turnout in Illinois will be tiny. The real story will be whether the GOP can carry Sauberbrun (or whatever that guy’s names is). Since the presidential race is not going to be competitive, anything must happen down the ballot. Edwards exit probably marginally hurts Obama, unless Edwards endorses Obama. Edwards was pretty good at going after Clinton in some of the debates. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:48 am: Broken, Obama is the only candidate we care about. - phocion - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:48 am: Illinois has always been firmly in Obama’s camp - this news does not change that. McCain will be helped by Rudy’s departure. Skip Saviano and Jim Durkin are likely meeting right now. - Levois - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:50 am: Edwards should just go ahead and endorse Obama. And you people keep forgetting about Ron Paul. He’s still in the race. - thegreatmags - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:51 am: McCain and Obama in a landslide. Sidenote, I’m really pumped for this election on tuesday. It’ll be nice to FINALLY get answers to all these questions (congressionals, s.a., prez prim, aldermanic) - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:52 am: To the question, I think Edwards probably was getting a lot of anti-Clinton votes from voters who didn’t like Barack that much. It would really help if he would endorse and pledge his delegates to Obama. An Obama-Edwards ticket would be really strong in the general even against a Rino like McCain. - Bud Man - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:52 am: Illinois goes to McCain. Polls had him up here before yesterdays result. The party will slowly come together around Sen. McCain. Edwards dropping out hurts Obama big I think. Edwards was not getting any minority vote, and getting a lot of white males. The white females supporting Edwards go to Clinot in droves and she takes a slight edge among white men. McCain v. Clinton = Another Repub in the WH - S. Illinois - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:52 am: Levois - Ron Paul may be running, but he’s never been in the race. - Justice - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:53 am: Obama will receive the benefit of the votes that Edwards would have received, so I see it as positive for Obama. John McCain may get the nod on the Republican side but I don’t think he can or will win against Obama. The Republicans won’t turn out and the Democrats will, in droves. McCain would be a dangerous president in my opinion and would likely have us deeper and deeper into war and debt. As I see it, we should all get in the Obamamobile and enjoy the ride. - Mark Andrew Gannon - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:56 am: I think Clinton wins Illinois in a shocker. The AFL-CIO is pulling out all the stops for her right now or so I am told. John McCain is your 44th POTUS. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:57 am: Following the lines of what Bill said, I predict that the large percentage of those supporting Edwards will shift to Obama before Clinton. Since the race is about delegates, even in IL, the extra votges picked up from edwards, if things trend that way, SHould help Obama pick up a few more delegates from his home State. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:58 am: Giuliani votes will go to McCain. I haven’t seen where Romney has any support in Illinois. I see McCain and Ron Paul signs in Western Cook, no Romney. Edwards small base of support seemed to be dominated by white males. I have no idea which way they’ll go — maybe to McCain. - OneManBlog - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:01 am: Edwards out helps Obama since again he was another place the ‘Anyone but Clinton’ folks could go. Guiliani voters get kind of split but McCain gets more. - Patriot - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:02 am: Obama is the only candidate YOU care about. - jwscott72 - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:04 am: It’s obvious on both counts. Obama and McCain Bill, please quit making blanket statements. Not everyone worships the ground Obama or Blago walk on. - Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:04 am: Edwards quitting will draw on white males to vote for McCain…If McCain wins the Republican nomination it doesn’t matter who wins on the Dem side-McCain is an independent moderate Rep-his only Achilles heel is is long term support of the Iraq War-but national issues have taken the focus away from this issue-he is not a friend of the Bushes, can run on writing real campaign reform with Russ Feingold, and works with the other side of the aisle in DC…Bill has fatally hurt Hill… Barack has the Rezko trial to look forward to, was endorsed by the Kennedys (the liberals conservatives love to hate) and has admitted youthful drug related indiscretions…I wonder what Obama will do when he is not victorious in November…hopefully he will consider returning to IL… - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:06 am: By we, I meant the well informed, in the know, compassionate,intelligent,concerned voters of Illinois, not you and Patriot. - Patriot - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:08 am: LOL - Freezeup - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:15 am: I think Loop Lady has an interesting opinion about Edwards votes leaving the party. I am surprised Obama spent the last few days attached to the hip of E. Kennedy- seems to me that Carolyn was a better endorsement for many reasons including the “change” theme. E. Kennedy doesn’t say “change” to me. - Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:15 am: In Illinois McCain. The Republican voters are turning away from those candidates who espouse extreme right positions for a more moderate, independent candidate. Obama because he is the local favorite. Clinton nationally because The Democratic voters are turning away from those candidates who espouse extreme left positions for a more moderate candidate. Are the extremists in both parties paying attention to the will of the voters? - Jake From Elwood - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:19 am: I can’t believe how badly Guiliani misplayed this election. He spent too little attention to Iowa, N.H., Nev. and S.C. I think the lesson learned here is that you cannot ignore the first few states and expect to pick up the slack in Florida. I know that several of my neighbors here in the suburbs are now looking for a new candidate to support. . .and it won’t be Hilary. - amy - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:20 am: if the Edwards voters are truly the union types who care about universal health care they will go to Hillary. and unions are strong in Illinois. - Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:23 am: Obama and McCain by landslides…I second whoever said that… and the Illinois question is does McCain, who doesn’t quite fit into the Illinois GOP’s split between social conservatives and country club Republicans, start something in the state to transcend that… - Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:26 am: Bill, I sincerely hope your 10:06 was an attempt at humor, not a display of arrogance… - Jon Shibley Fan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:27 am: Mark Andrew Gannon, you aren’t supposed to drink this early in the morning. Edwards leaving the race probably hurts Obama some, though given he hasn’t really been viable, it’s tough to say where those voters really go. It isn’t as if they don’t know Hillary. In Illinois it has zero impact. McCain wins Illinois. No question. It’s tough to see anything standing between him and the nomination. There’s no reason to believe he can’t win in November. - Leroy - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:29 am: I don’t think anything is going to stop Barack ‘What-have-you-done-for-me-lately?’ Obama. He is the Pope of Illinois. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:30 am: Geez, Ken! Lighten up. You repubs can’t take a joke. I was just fooling around with Craig a little bit. He deserves it. I think Obamamania has gotten to a lot of you. There is nothing you can do about it now. Even crazy John McCain can’t beat Barack. Just sit back and enjoy the show and get ready for a great eight years of progressivism. YES WE CAN! - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:33 am: McCain adds to his lead by picking up most of the Edwards supporters. Similarly, Obama prepares to double down on HRC again in her home state by picking up most of the Edwards voters. In other news, due to Giuliani’s premature exit from the presidential campaign, the Sangamon County Republican Central Committee has had to find a replacement speaker for its annual Lincoln Day luncheon being held on February 2. The event has been moved from the State Fairgrounds to Rep. Raymond Poe’s cattle barn near Sherman due to Blagojevich administration sabotage of the Fairgrounds electrical grid. Long-time party activist and retired Gen. Dick Austin is expected to deliver a stirring address entitled “Ted Kennedy should be the last guy opposed to Waterboarding.” - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:34 am: Both of Edwards’ voters will split - the white female voter will support Clinton, and the black voter will support Obama. The other 99.99% had already made up their minds. Obama wins Illinois, loses the nomination, and Clinton loses to McCain. McCain gets 99.99% of Giuliani’s votes. McCain wins the nomination and the General. Illinois, once again, becomes irrelevant in a presidential election. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:36 am: VM, Not in your wildest reactionary dreams! - Crimefighter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:39 am: If the state GOP shifts way left and goes to McCain…you’re pretty much guarnteeing the election to Hillary…and the same situation that Illinois has had with Democrats controlling everything in total disfunction will be duplicated nationwide. I cannot believe Republicans have run so far away from conservatism toward party suicide by acting like Democrats. - RBD - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:43 am: McCain will lose support in IL (and everywhere else) in the general election when the key discussion point becomes how he plans on staffing his hundred-year war. The draft will be the hot topic in the general election. My guess that most of the participants in this blog don’t understand that the draft is about more than just having the bad luck to be called up. It stops the life of everyone in the eligibility group. No one will hire a prospective draftee, for example. A lot of today’s grandfathers who were vets didn’t get to be so voluntarily; it was their only employment choice. Employers don’t hire people into jobs that require any training investment (whether it is to be plumber or a banker) if it is already known that person might leave at any minute. - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:46 am: With regard to Rudy and NH: He actually dropped a lot of money and spent a lot of time there. He got out late when his numbers showed that his money was not being well spent. Rudy’s Florida first strategy claim relatively late. Also, it was always obvious to me that the GOP would never support him. Way too liberal. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:49 am: Hey Bill, Do you want to come up with an answer to RBD, or do you want to just let him pretend he’s Napoleon? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:55 am: Skeeter - Rudy was my guy, and I am no liberal. Your general comment about the GOP not accepting Giuliani has been generally disproven. He didn’t lose because of his social positions, he lost because McCain and Giuliani appealed to similar voters to the extent that once Mac was on the rise, he got Rudy’s voters too. Claiming that the GOP is too closed minded to support Giuliani is nonsense. It would be like claiming that the Democrats are too closed minded to support Lieberman’s re-election to the US Senate after serving as their VP nominee just a few years earlier… Oh, THATS RIGHT! - They are! - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:55 am: No. I can’t. I’m speechless. - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:59 am: Vanilla, What happened in NH to Rudy? He dropped a lot of money there, and lost to someone clearly to the right. You mention that Mc was on the rise. Of course, Rudy was on the decline. The GOP will not nominate someone with Rudy’s views on abortion. It was a deal-breaker for the GOP. - RBD - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:06 am: V-Man & Speechless Bill I am a female who lived through the Vietnam era. I and my gender-cohorts got real jobs in the 60s and early 70s because corporate America would not hire the males in our generation until they had fulfilled their military requirement (obligation?). (Thanks guys. I couldn’t have done it without ya.) I know Republicans who already have an escape plan for their college age kids. They think President McCain’s action will demand a draft. (Just to add to your snickering: until I went to college I lived on an Air Force base.) - Jon Shibley Fan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:06 am: Whoever said voting McCain was a hard left shift is obviously a doctrinaire Republican. McCain is an old school conservative. Just because he doesn’t conform to every version of that word you have doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Vanilla, I don’t know that Edwards had that much black support to give. He received far less of the black vote in SC than Obama or Clinton - something like 2%, if I recall the coverage correctly. - anon - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:07 am: Edwards departure does not do much for Obama in Illinois, since Illinois Dems seem to be already in his camp (for the most part), so the local bounce BO gets is negligible. McCain feels centrist, which should appeal to Illinois Repub voters. Going national, I think the Dems implode, especially under the weight of a Dem Congress that has not done much to thwart the President’s policies. For some reason Clinton seems anathema, and Obama is no(t) JFK. That leaves the grandfatherly McCain, at this point. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:11 am: Obama is clearly going to take Illinois. The super Tuesday states will be mostly split between HRC and Obama, but Obama will get more delegates and take the nomination. He’ll beat McCain in November. - Sacks Romana - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:11 am: Roughly 10% of Democratic voters have been supporting Edwards the last couple weeks. I simply don’t see how a large percentage (more than 30%) of these people bring themselves to vote for Clinton. These are voters whose top issues are poverty and bringing the troops home NOW. If you’re a white woman whose supported Edwards over Clinton it’s because of these issues, not any sort of identity politics. And if you look at those two issues, Obama comes out clearly ahead of Clinton, even if his rhetoric is watered down and compromising compared to Edwards. Edwards voters either don’t turn out because they’re sad their candidate is out, or they hold their noses and vote for Obama, or they get excited about Obama. I expect a 2-3% bump for Obama in every state. In Illinois, Obama takes no less than 65% of the vote and possibly a lot more. The Republicans have been desperately seeking a viable candidate since before and after Iowa. They remember they liked McCain back in 2000, and have forgotten he turned in his “Maverick” membership card when he campaigned for Bush in 2004. He’s viable, not winnable, but what else are they going to do? Nominate a Mormon, a religious fanatic that pardons rapists, or a Libertarian. And nothing against Mormons; they make fine Republican governors of liberal states, but they tend to confuse and alienate Republican voters nationwide with their is it?/isn’t it? Christianity (Hint: It is). - Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:12 am: You can trace Giuliani’s decline with the stories about the care and his “mistress”. It’s that checkered past more than his social liberalism that did him in. Compare the Republican and Democratic debates and there was far more diversity of thouhts among Republican, then among Democrats. I’m hard pressed to tell you the difference in positions among Dems. Yet the Democrats have all the rancor. McCain overs a real lesson to the Illinois GOP they should pay attention too. A guy who brings his campaign from the basement with pure character and relentless message… including a message on immigration. It all paid for McCain… that a the simple tactic of campaigning in each and every race…one by one. - Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:13 am: Sorry…Rudy’s car, and McCain Offers… - plutocrat03 - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:15 am: With BO up over HC by 29 points, it does not matter. Highest polls showed 15% for JE, so that if each and every JE voter went for HC, BO would be up 14%. Still a very decisive victory. Polls seemed to be split on whether RG or JM were leading in Illinois. There are now a large number of voters who are looking for a candidate with 13 to 30% looking for a new candidate. I don’t thin that MH or RP will benefit much from the newly available voter pool. It will be a test to see which is the most important issue to the republican voters. Security JM, or economy MR. I believe that JM will prevail. As far as RBDs issue of the draft, so far it is the Democrats who want to institute a draft, not the Republicans. As someone who was drafted in the waning years of a non-volunteer army, I have recollections which contradict his hiring scenarios. There were no problems of hiring draft eligible young men then, nor would there be now if the Democrats get their way. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:16 am: McCain is as old as dirt and has flip-flopped so many times on so many issues that he will be a laughable candidate in the general. His pandering to the war monger wing of his party will hurt him with normal Americans who are tired of wasting billions of dollars and hundreds of US lives for no reason other than “W” lied. We have a chance for a new day in America. We have a chance to change the way decisions are made in Washington. We can elect a candidate who will throw out the lobbyists and the special interests and involve and engage the American people to affect real change in our great country. Talk about economic stimulus! How about if we quit wasting billions per month overseas in an unwinnable war and invest in America. The time for change is now! YES WE CAN! - Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:21 am: Wouldn’t it be funny, not ha-ha funny, but funny, that after one of the most inspiring, unique, rabble-rousing Democratic primaries of all time and after an atrocious 8-year Republican stint in the WH where most people agree that it is time for a Dem president, a 700 year old Republican runs away with the election? If Obama loses the nomination(although he will win Illinois in a landslide) and Billary is up against McCain, they’ll lose. No doubt. The only good thing that will come out of it is that the Clintons will be blamed for ruining the Dems chance and she won’t be able to run again. Edwards dropping out hurts Obama a little, but not enough. Rezko doesn’t hurt Obama either. If the story can’t really gather steam here in IL, where it’s actually happening, there’s no hope for it in the rest of the country. Doesn’t matter how bad the media wants answers to its questions, the voters don’t care. - Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:24 am: For the Dems, Edwards’ exit really won’t move many numbers in Illinois. He was always a fringe quantity here in the first place who in my estimation was a person to vote for if you were against Sen. Clinton, but didn’t know enough about Sen. Obama to be comfortable voting for him. With the popularity of Sen. Obama rising, Illinois, which began solidly in the Obama camp, becomes even more strongly Obama. I look for the Clintons to play the expectations game here and try to imply that unless Obama wins Illinois by 3:1 (since Edwards is now out) that it’s a win for Sen. Clinton. I really think winning California is the key for both camps for Tuesday, not Illinois. As far as the Republicans go, I think that with Romney and McCain as the front runners, we lose a few more centrists to the Democrat primary, if for no other reason, the war and the fact that McCain is more a hawk than anyone else. I think Romney has to take off the 11th Commandment gloves and attack McCain on whether we should prolong our troops to Iraq…Iran…Afghanistan. Anyway, that’s my two cents. - Just My Opinion - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:25 am: What makes people think that the majority of white females are for Hillary? I’m a white female and I would vote for a yellow dog before putting her husband back into the White House for another 8 years. I would like to think the war will be a non-issue for either party. If we get a dem as POTUS, the war will NOT immediately end. They will soon see there must be a lengthy and concerted effort and timeline in doing so. Remember when the dems took power in Washington and Nancy Pelosi said watch what we do in the first 100 days? We watched and saw nothing. It’s easy to be a back seat driver and much different when you are actually driving the machine. I think both dem frontrunners understand that. - Enemy of the State - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:26 am: Do all of the folks who voted early for a drop out get a do-over? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:26 am: Rudy lost for a couple of reasons, abortion isn’t one of them. Rudy and Mac had the same voter base. When Mac was down, Rudy was up and after NH, Mac took all the votes. Rudy couldn’t win in NH because Mac is beloved there, and Romney was the governor right down the street in Boston. Once Mac was on the rise, Rudy was toast. Rudy didn’t dis Mac once, and even went as far as telling voters that if he wasn’t running, he’d vote for McCain. Illinois GOP leaders and ex-Govs also support Giuliani. You can’t claim that Edgar didn’t know about Rudy’s stand on abortion. I believe that abortion is an occasionally necessary MEDICAL procedure, and am opposed to those who twist it into being birth control for idiots. But I supported Rudy all the way, even with contributions. His ‘abortion stand’ as the media reported it is understandable as a NYC mayor. As president, he would have no impact on abortions since he supported conservative judges. I’m OK with this. What happened is that times changed. Abortion numbers are down anyway. We are in a war. Rudy appealed to the GOP during 2007 because of the battle over Iraq, Petraus’ hearing, and Hillary’s rise. By November the Surge took Iraq out of the headlines, Hillary fell on her face in Iowa, and McCain reignited his campaign. This impacted Rudy’s poll numbers significantly. Today Rudy endorses McCain, just as he said he would months ago when McCain was at the back of the pack in the polls. Last night, McCain spoke of his admiration for the Mayor. They appealed to the same voter block. Once McCain started rising, the McCain/Giuliani voter block watched to see if McCain would win in other states - and he did. So, by yesterday, this voter block just kept the McCain nomination going to Super Tuesday. I’m on board now too. Those who wish to claim that Rudy just ran a bad campaign may have a point or two, but with Iraq and terrorism out of the headlines, Rudy’s dominant appeal faded too. We know that McCain will continue to fight the war on terrorism, and except for his ten year presidential campaign votes, he’s a solid American with real experience and a genuine war hero to boot. My only problem with McCain has been his age - but then, his mother is still alive and active, so it is unlikely that this is as big a factor as it was in 1956 or 1980. Look, they kept Cheney alive and his mechanical heart only beats once a day! So, lets get this over with. Finally, if Hillary is the nominee within the week, there will be a severe case of voter’s remorse by the time the convention comes around. Both Obama and Hillary can implode before November. We all know McCain to the point of boredom, but we don’t know what skeletons will be uncovered with either Democratic nominee. The Democrats need to keep all their options opened before Denver, even if it means selecting Al Gore or my favorite, Joe Biden. Hillary and Barak are time bombs ready to go off, and no one wins if all we have to choose from in November is McCain and a extremely damaged Democratic nominee. - Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:28 am: Bill @ 10:30 - Really, it was a serious question! And I’m not a Repub - I’m independent and proud of it. I vote for whom I perceive to be the best candidate regardless of party. Sadly, slim pickings on both sides this time around… In answer to Rich’s original QOTD: McCain and Obama. - anon - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:28 am: ==We can elect a candidate who will throw out the lobbyists and the special interests and involve and engage the American people to affect real change in our great country.== But who on earth would that candidate be? Certainly no one in this election. - Greg - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:28 am: Bill, you’re as Keynesian as they come. Military waste is a classically Kenynesian stimulus. - Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:29 am: God Bill CHILL! Please tell me how Obama is going to turn Washington around now that he needs tons of cash and is taking it from 527s and the rest of the political/economic machinery…you Obama folks are drunk on the koolaid and need a reality check…he is an IL pol who came up the good ol’ boy network/Chicago machine politics…one his mentors is Emil Jones for God’s sake… - taxmandan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:30 am: RBD, who were those shifty eyed folks at the Chicago school board meeting, that were trying to ban military recruitment? My guess is none of them were Republican voters. It’s hard to keep the military all volunteer when they can’t recruit. - Wumpus - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:30 am: There are now only two fabulous hairdos left in IL public eye, Blago and Romney. - Bruno - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:31 am: McCain / Obama will be a genuinely competitive election where McCain probably wins. If it’s Hillary, only Lou Dobbs’ entry into the race saves the presidency for the Dems. My more risky side bet is that if it’s McCain/Hillary, even IL will be in play, if for no other reason that IL Dems will despise her for how she won the nomination. ____ Bill, You crack me up. McCain and Hillary are both the most known and recognized candidates in the nation. McCain’s Positive/Negative ratio is better than all the entrants, and Hillary’s is one of the worst. But just to warm your heart, Bill, I wrote an anti-McCain parody song. Enjoy http://www.extremewisdom.com/?p=974 - RBD - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:33 am: For the people who think McCain will beat the Dem candidate: What makes you feel that way? Conservative columnists like George Will declared it hopeless for the Republicans a long time ago. It’s just a matter of which Republican will do the Party the least damage. I appreciate that we all have opinions about this issue but the TV talking heads, etc., have access to a wider array of data points than the average blogger. Why would diehard Republicans say a year before the election that their party is going to lose if they didn’t think it was true. - Greg - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:40 am: For what it’s worth, the political futures markets are giving the eventual dem nominee about a 61% chance. That feels about right; people who project with certainty are out of their minds, but it’s hard to argue against a democratic advantage. Also, that price has come in 1-2% alongside the McCain surge, which also feels reasonable (at least to me.) - Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:40 am: RBD- talking heads have great access - like to NH polls that put Obama 15 points ahead on Billary. One year ago any Dem did look unbeatable. But things change. If talking heads weren’t trying to predict the future all the time, what the hell would they have to talk about? Also, I only think McCain beats Billary, not Obama. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:43 am: RDB I don’t snicker, and Bill doesn’t even know how to. To believe that McCain will institute a draft is utter nonsense. The man experienced seven years of torture. The last person who wants to start a war or a draft is a wounded war veteran. McCain has clearly sided on these issues before. Since there will be no draft, there is also no reason to be concerned about how businesses will hire young men. There is also no reason to believe that businesses would resurrect 45 year old business practices anyway. Times have changed. Vietnam must have been awful. Even those who remember watching it on television are screwed up over it. Vietnam was not only awful because of the lives lost, but also for the way we lost it. Bailing like we did cost millions of lives and the credibility of the United States for twenty years. Fortunately we will have a president who lived in the Hanoi Hilton longer than Barak Obama’s presidential campaign machinations. Which means that we will have an 71 year old Vietnam veteran preventing another Vietnam. - Snidely Whiplash - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:46 am: I don’t think we can really know where Edwards’ voters will go until the race is finished. His platform had elements of both other candidates’ platforms. If you take the racial or gender voting slant, Edwards is a white male, so how can you tell whether people allegedly voting his way for that reason will go for the black male, the white female, another candidate, or just stay home? I think it’s pure conjecture. In Illinois, as others have said, it has no impact at all on Obama. Hell, I truly believe that if Tony Rezko held a press conference and stated that he bought that parcel next to Obama’s at full price because Obama promised to advance some project of his in return, he would still win Illinois by a landslide. He is the epitome of teflon in this state. McCain will win Illinois by a large margin because the majority of Illinois Republicans are of the moderate variety. His insistence on continuing the war in Iraq won’t hurt him, because none of the major GOP candidates has the fortitude to come out against the war. - K to the 3 - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:54 am: Obama wins IL by 30 points. McCain by 12 (just because, here in IL, we love frontrunners-even if they are not the best candidate…like Blago). Edwards needs to endorse Obama today! If Clinton wins, it will be an easy road to the WH for McCain. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:58 am: Bruno, Great tune! Is that you on vocals? This election must be very frustrating for you. Just like the last gub election one of the liberals will win in the general. Except for Mac’s warmongering he is probably more liberal than Bill Clinton. Keep on fighting. This would be even more boring without you. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 11:59 am: Also RBD - you are posting at the Capitol Fax Blog. So we are not average bloggers! The talking heads have NOTHING over us. Just as newspapers are losing readership to the Internet, the talking heads on television are losing to us. There isn’t anything they know that we couldn’t have access to. We know it just as well as they do. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:00 pm: Obama is so far ahead in the IL polls that nothing short of a shocking true tale of recent immorality will stop him. The Republican primary in IL is largely irrelevant, but I think McCain wins as the few remaining party faithful try to coalesce around a candidate. Edwards’ drop out will not affect either D candidate significantly on the national stage unless Edwards endorses. The election will depend on the turbulence of the times. Too turbulent favors a known quantity like Hill or McCain. - Bruno - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:00 pm: RBD, Since when have G. Will and other columnist/pundits been any good at predictions? These are the same people that told us McCain was toast, and that Rudy would fight it out with Mitt. Greg’s point about the electoral markets is slightly more cogent, but those ‘futures’ are still only processing today’s data. (snapshots) Forget polls and pundits (snapshots) and try to predict the outcome of the movie. A good general rule is that the person that most people would rather a have beer (or wine) with will be the winner. This is why Obama will be competitive, and Hillary will not. Please remember that people who comment on blogs make up about .01% of the population. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:16 pm: VM, We are already in another Viet Nam and Bombing John has promised to stay there for another one hundred years. Do you think old Mac will ask Lieberman to be his running mate in an effort to soothe the more conservative Repubs? I really do know how to snicker and I do everytime I read your posts. - Vole - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:30 pm: Romney still has a shot. McCain showed a side of himself in the Florida campaign that many found to be troublesome. His continuous pounding on Romney’s statement about timetables in Iraq was obviously distorted. And the way he carried that note card around that he kept quoting Romney from was a bit nutty. If this is the way he has treated his fellow legislators in the Senate (some say yes) then there does need to be a deeper examination of his temperament let alone his “straight talk”. McCain is just a big of fabricator and chameleon as any other politician. He’d be history had the violence not ebbed in Iraq. And on his timetable, we’ll be “winning” in Iraq for the next 50 years. - RMW Stanford - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:33 pm: Obama will win in Illinois easily and Edwards leaving the race will increase the votes he gets in every other state, but in the end I dont think it will make a difference and Clinton will win the Dem nomination. On the GOP side McCain will probably win in Illinois and I suspect go on to win the GOP nod. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 12:54 pm: CNN story with a interview from Jimmy Carter (who is not enddorsing any canidate). Carter then piles praise on Obama… “Carter also said Obama “will be almost automatically a healing factor in the animosity now that exists, that relates to our country and its government.” Nice pickup as well going into 2/5. - Just Sayin' - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 1:20 pm: Well, for what it’s worth (and, in my opinion, it’s not a lot, being 10 months from Election Day and all), Rasmussen says right now McCain would beat both Clinton and Obama nationally. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/john_mccain_match_ups/election_2008_mccain_vs_clinton_and_obama - Angry Chicagoan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 1:57 pm: Bill once again shoes his cluelessness by calling McCain a RINO. He has traditionally been one of the more conservative Republicans — opposed to legalized abortion, a staunch advocate of the Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito Supreme Court nominations, fiscally conservative to a fault, opposing Social Security, opposing federal programs ranging from Amtrak to economic stimulus packages, and a robustly neocon foreign policy. And he’s jettisoned his traditional stance in favor of maintaining the estate tax, even while still trying to claim the estate tax’s original advocate, Teddy Roosevelt, as his hero. There’s a very big difference between a RINO liberal, and the MAVERICK conservative that McCain actually is. Now — prediction time. McCain has to be regarded as the favorite for the presidency at this point. The media are in love with him. He’ll get the vast majority of newspaper endorsements and fawning coverage on TV. As for Illinois next week. McCain very comfortably on the GOP side. Obama for the Democrats. Neither should be close. I don’t think McCain can crack Illinois in the fall, but if the Dems nominate Hillary, he’d have a shot at sweeping every other Midwestern state. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:13 pm: Bill, you want to snicker some more? We are all seeing a train wreck next week for your beloved party. Obama’s Camelot senior voters plus his other faith-based supporters will not be enough to offset what appears to be a cakewalk for Hillary on Tuesday. Except for Illinois, Clinton can just disappear until this time next week and win the nomination. It is hers to lose. McCain isn’t a Huckabee freak. Everyone knows him. You will not be able to find enough new dirt to scare voters away from him. Every office holder gets to a point where their story is written and voters are not swayed from it. Both Clinton and McCain are known, but they don’t like your gal. Polls already show ‘Bomber’ John beating Hillary or Barak by 10 percentage points. Right now! This is supposed to be your party’s year, remember? ‘Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory’, isn’t that your party’s specialty? Your faith-based Obama people better start praying for a miracle in order to prevent Hillary and Bill from The Crown. All they have to do is not make any bad news and smile all for the next six days. She is too far ahead. Clinton’s negatives will unite the GOP, but have already split the Democrats. Hear that yelling? It is Democrats cursing at the Clintons, but not loudly enough to stop their train. In a week, that yelling will get a whole lot louder when they realize they nominated Cruella DeVille, the ex ‘Youth for Goldwater’ liberal feminist and her impeached ex-president husband. Snickering yet Bill? - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:25 pm: McCain not a freak? The Bush people spread the word that he might be insane, and ideas like that tend to stick around. McCain has alienated both the left and the right. He annoyed the right with his views of torture and his refusal to toe the GOP line, and he annoyed the left with his views on the war and some of his flip flops over things like Liberty U. I personally like McCain, but “McCain” seems to be Republican for “Kerry.” People tend to like him more in theory than in reality, and he does tend to do things that push people away. And then there is the war. That is not going to get any better between now and November, and people are going to be looking for plan to get us out, while McCain’s only plan is to get us in even more. I am one of those that don’t believe that McCain is insane and I actually think he’s a good speaker. But there are a lot of people like me who are going to say “I like the guy, but what’s he going to do as President, and does he share my goals for this country.” When they ask those questions, Sen. Clinton is going to look better and better. - beavis - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:26 pm: Okay so IL is really decided, many other states are too. I was just looking at the state by state polls for Super Tuesday on USA Today’s website. Some of them are not current but it looks Hillary has 20 point leads in CA and NY and several other states. Barack is leading in IL, GA, CO and CT. Obama is all about momentum and late surges, but as a supporter of his I’m worried that Super Duper Tuesday could be a very bad day for my guy. - Beavis - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:27 pm: And following — If the Dems nominate Obama, and he puts Webb or Bayh on the ticket, the contest if over. Obama/Webb beats McCain in a landslide. “Hope” beats the heck out of “War with no end.” - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:31 pm: Obama isn’t going to win the nomination. Try “Clinton/Clark” - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:51 pm: VM, I hope you are right about that. If Gen. Clark is on the ticket, I will actually campaign for Sen. Clinton. Clark is the person who could do for Clinton what Webb could do for Obama — put Virginia, Indiana, and Arkansas in play. - Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 2:53 pm: If it’s Clinton/Clark I’ll have no choice but to vote Republican. Or move to the middle of Montana where laws don’t really apply and the outside world rarely matters. Who’s coming with me?! - Jaded - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:06 pm: OK all you soothsayers, who is on the ticket with McCain? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:09 pm: McCain/Pawlenty - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:14 pm: VM, You are touting a guy who lost an election to George W. Bush! Jaded, I already predicted Joe Lieberman. His second choice would be Ron Paul. - Gene Parmesan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:23 pm: Bill, Lieberman has already stated that he would decline if McCain asked him. It was covered by the AP yesterday. - thegreatmags - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:26 pm: Ew, McCain/Pawlenty? Ya know, I’ve heard that ticket heralded for months and frankly I just do not see it. Yeah Pawlenty’s a young, telegenic guy who may be more of a conservative favorite (especially on immigration) but he barely won reelection. I’m sure it helps the convention is in the Twin Cities. I’m rooting for McCain to pick a better younger Veep than Pawlenty. Maybe Senator L. Graham, hell even the Huckster! Either way, I don’t think McCain will be hurting in options for that spot. But another (younger) maverick would be nice. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:33 pm: You are so silly! I already had another liberal friend tell me that as if losing to Bush means something. Joe Lieberman took himself out of the race for McCain’s VP choice this morning. Ron Paul will only get onboard if it means docking with ‘the mother ship’ he keeps claiming beamed him to Earth 60 years ago. I already told you I supported Giuliani and with him out of the race former Giuliani guys are backing McCain. This will free Romney to be returned to Toy’s ‘R Us in his Ken doll box, and let Huckabee get that gig with Howard Stern. Ron Paul can return to Neptune. Your problem is a whole lot more challenging. Not only do you need to give humorous statements concerning the latest Blagojevich nonsense, but we’ll look to to you do the same for your party’s nominee - Hillary Rodham Clinton. Oh, you better pray for an Obama miracle Tuesday! I’d rather have him as a choice than the Hildabeast - as would you. Who, besides Rezko or Ted Kennedy, do you think is on Obama’s short list for VP? He’s going to have to be the brain behind that eloquent facade. If miracles occur and he’s the nominee - I’d recommend someone like Rep. Jane Harman, or former Senator Sam Nunn. Too bad Biden made a fool of himself with his ‘clean’ comment, he’d be another good VP choice for Obama. Barak is going to need someone with the real world girth he lacks. I know! How about Obama/Byrd? That would be sweet! - thegreatmags - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:35 pm: Gov. Sebelius has been picking up some buzz as an Obama veep. I reckon that’s not such a bad idea. Lol on Obama/Byrd. - Been There - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:36 pm: Everyone knows Obama wins Illinois. But I believe it is not a winner take all state with the delegates. I have no idea how the polling looks downstate but I could see Edwards leaving the race tipping some of those voters over to Hillary and maybe she picks up a delegate or two. - chiatty - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:38 pm: Edwards’ dilatory decision (should have been made after New Hampshire IMHO) should inure slightly to Obama’s benefit, but it probably won’t be enough to beat Bill Clinton, who Obama is now running against. He’s a tough guy to beat, unless you can do the Elmer Gantry treatment and have an intern “thong” and “wrong” him… - Jaded - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:38 pm: Too bad Lieberman declined. That is a ticket I could vote for even though their combined age might be higher than the over/under for the NCAA championship game. If they got elected, Nancy Pelosi would be sending both of them donuts every day! - Anon - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:38 pm: It looks like Jimmy Durkin has an easier time working on the McCain race. McCain would have won here either way because of his hard work along with Pat Hickey’s (remember Pat?) daily rah-rah on his own blog. - Joe in the Know - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:38 pm: Mark my words: If Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, John McCain’s biggest booster in the General Election will be Bill and Hillary Clinton. This way, after Hillary spends the next four years as Senate Majority Leader (sorry Durbin fans) she’ll use that pulpit to run again in 4 years, after McCain steps down (at 76) due to whatever reason. McCain will only due 4 years, maybe as a favor to the Clintons for helping him beat Barack. - Greg - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:39 pm: VM, The sad part is that the Obama/Byrd ticket would only move Byrd up several notches on the presidential succession ladder. Scary… - thegreatmags - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:40 pm: Dunno, I don’t think the Clintons boosting Sen. McCain will do him ANY favors with his base. - Skeeter - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 3:45 pm: For VP: Pawlenty would make sense if there was the thought that he could put Minn. in the bag, and that’s not clear at all. Look for a similar type though — a right winger from a contested state. Huckabee sure seems to want it, and he might not be bad. He’s Quayle-light. Not as dumb, but more likeable. For the Dems: I don’t have a clue about Clinton, but I would support Clark. For Obama, the door is wide open. Webb of Virginia would be an outstanding choice. Bayh also would be a good choice. Both would help Obama pick up a red state. Clark endorsed Clinton, so he’s probably out as VP for Obama. It looks like Richardson is going to endorse Clinton, which takes him out of that role. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:00 pm: Veep predictions: McCain: Gov. Crist of Florida. Young, popular, optimistic, battleground state Clinton: Clark or Bayh. Obama: Clark — he needs somebody with military/foreign policy experience. Romney: Not a clue. I don’t think any of the senators take another senator — not in the year of change. I also don’t think there’s any way Jim Webb would be a Veep candidate for anyone — not in his nature. He might be Secretary of Defense regardless of who is elected. - Just Sayin' - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:30 pm: For veeps: McCain would naturally fit with Pawlenty, who’s been at his side this entire campaign and (I believe) in the last one too. He’ll be the hometown hero during the convention, could talk like a Midwesterner for those crucial swing states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan. That said, Huckabee could help him shore up his base. Romney is trickier, considering so few people in the GOP establishment seem to like him. Maybe, umm, Jeb Bush? OK, any other election cycle but this one and that would work. For Clinton, Wes Clark or Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan would work. Wes Clark poses (an easily skirtable, see Dick Cheney) issue of being from Arkansas like, I would argue, Hillary Clinton. But Clinton can say she’s from New York, so the constitutional problems go away. Granholm would get the women fired up and ready to go, but she’s had some troubles with the budget and economy in Michigan. I think Obama’s will look at which of his surrogates does the best for him as Super Tuesday comes up. Sebelius, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri all have that Democrat-from-a-Red-State vibe going. Also, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was one of the first to support him and he, like Napolitano, is term-limited. - steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:37 pm: Bill, whether we like where we’re at in Iraq or not, we are not in another Vietnam. The comperison, while somewhat popular, is far from true. We would have to check back in, say, five years and 40,000 caualties. - Old Elephant - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:37 pm: Rich, did someone hack your site or maybe somebody accidently changed a setting? This page is displaying very strangely. - Bill - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:42 pm: Steve, You’re right but if we are still there in five years the numbers (and the result) could be very similar. It is time to get out of there asap. Either that or confiscate the oil fields, get the refineries back on line and make a little cash. - Old Elephant - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:44 pm: Seems like we’ve gotten into a Vice-President thread here. I’ll play along: Way too early for the Dems, but Hillary probably picks an African-American. McCain picks Colin Powell (we can dream can’t we). Doubt if Obama is going to have to make a choice — can’t see how he comes out of Super Duper Tuesday with any real hope of winning the nomination. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:52 pm: Grenholm would have been a great pick for Kerry in 2004 when the Michigan economy wasn’t so bad. Unfortunately, she’s got the same issue as Gov. Arnold — not a natural-born citizen. She was born in Canada. Colin Powell would never accept the Veep slot. If he didn’t go for the big prize this cycle, where I think he could have won the nomination and election in landslides, he won’t take No. 2. - Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 4:54 pm: Old Elephant, it’s from Just Sayin’ @1:20 pm’s link. - some former legislative intern - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 5:27 pm: Joe in the Know don’t know. the Edwards depature doesn’t make any difference. for the GOP, Guiliani’s departure helps McCain in a big way. McCain wins Illinois by about 55% for the Repubs, Obama 70% for the Democrats. - rottimom - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 7:12 pm: I do not understand why You feel Romney is done! he is far from done. Do you know what Romney stands for? McCain is liberal, walks side by side with Kennedy, Feingold, Leiberman. I want a conservative! McCain is not a conservative! - RPNeighbor - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 7:21 pm: I’d say Clinton has alot of friends in Illinois too. I say it will be a close race and we just won’t know until next week. - thegreatmags - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:33 pm: John McCain is a conservative Republican. Mitt Romney is a flip-floppin’, pop lockin’ Massachusetts liberal and hopefully our next Secretary of Treasury! haha - A Citizen - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:50 pm: Ooooooh! Blags should take notice …with John Edwards(Mr. $400 haircut) dropping out the h’cut just doesn’t getter done no more! And the Dems have narrowed down their candidates to two categories that have NEVER won the presidency before . . . wise, very wise. Say hello to President McCain and VP Huckaby. As Bill would say - Yesssssssss! - Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 9:59 pm: I am going to make a prediction here. Since all 3 GOP Senate challengers are unknown to the general voting public, we are going to see a replay of the ‘86 Democratic Primary whereas people will vote for the most “friendly sounding”, American-sounding name. (and Psak and Sauerbrauten ain’t gonna cut it, folks). Fellow Republicans, get ready for Andy Martin to be our nominee. - Rats are leaving.... - Wednesday, Jan 30, 08 @ 10:46 pm: I know this is off-topic but how about Joe Handley blindsiding the Governor and his staff and leaving the sinking ship (S.S. Blago) to go to the cable tv association. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 6:01 am: A, If that happens I’ll buy you a ticket on mass transit to anyplace you choose as long as it is a fixed route in the transit district of more than 50,000 people that you reside in. Give me about 60 days after the election to make your travel arrangements. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 6:13 am: Illinois voters won’t fall for the phony Romney; McCain by six! - Captain America - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 8:13 am: McCain will win Illinois. I predict a McCAin_ Huckabee ticket. I have to eat some crow because I declared McCain’s candidacy dead last summer. Obama will have no problem beating Hillary here. Obama benefits more than Hillary from Edwards droppng out - the anti-hillary voters will coalesce around Barack. If Hillary ultimately prevails, the only possibility that she has of beating McCain is if she selects Obama as her running mate. If she picks anyone else as VP, I can’t see her beating McCain in November because he is an honest,honorable man despite his many flaws. I believe Obama could beat McCain in Novermber and even turn some red states blue , simply becaus Obama appeals to indpendents - Clinton does not - even some committed Democrats can’t stand her. I’m pretty angry about the race card the Clintons have played - Bill Clinton’s denigration of Obama’s South CArolina victory by referring to Jesse Jackson’s successes there in 1984 and 1988 was really over the top as far as I am concerned. - Chillary Linton - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 8:37 am: The Clinton Machine is unstoppable. HillBillary has written off Illinois. Illinois is a “flyover state” with no real political clout. - Truthful James - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 9:00 am: McCain-Huckabee is probably the ticket, but the republicans need someone strong on closing the Borders and fining employers for employing illegals. - chiatty - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 9:22 am: It pains me to say this, but I don’t think Edwards’s late exit will inure to Obama’s benefit. Bottom line, I think Bill Clinton’s unforgivable conduct in South Carolina and in New Hampshire all but guarantees that Obama can’t beat Hillary. The real problem is that Obama can’t beat Bill. Everybody calls Bill Clinton one of the best politicians of all time. As he ages, this description seems to highlight his absolute refuse to lose mentality. He is apparently willing to sacrifice his solid image in the black community in order to ensure her victory. I’ve never pulled the Republican lever for President, but I won’t pull the lever for Hillary, that’s for darn sure. - rottimom - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 9:34 am: McCain is dishonest.It has been pointed out, as in the debate last evening, that he is right, because he is right. He is arrogant and a Washington insider. Remenber, Ronald Reagan was an outsider. McCain will not secure our borders, stop illegals or bring jobs and business to our country. He told the people of Michigan…your jobs aren’t coming back…why??? Because McCain is going to continue sending our jobs over seas. Our automobile industry is taxed on production, while overseas makers get tax breaks and rebates for bringing autos here. If McCain is nominated, there will be mass exodus of true republicans. The radio and blogs are passionate about McCain’s inability to debate, tell the truth or stand upfor America. - Thinking without the box - Thursday, Jan 31, 08 @ 1:48 pm: McCain @#$%&%$# This drives me insane. The man has one foot in the grave and the other on slippery ice. If the Republicans pick McCain they better make sure he has a healthy VP. This will be another example of the Republicans aiming for their foot and hitting themselves in the head. McCain’s own mother said the Republicans would have to hold their nose and vote for McCain. This is one Republican that will vote for Obama before that happens. On the other side is there even a choice? Rezko or no Rezko Obama beats Clinton while standing on his head. PaddilaBill is the best campaigner Obama has. Maybe the Republicans will draft Aaron the missle Schock for President. It’s one way of getting rid of that stockpile of old missiles. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.